"Amazing feeling… I’m feeling good on the bike" – Michel reacts after finishing Day 1 at Cremona in P2
The German was one of the stars of the action on Day 1 in Italy as she claimed second place in the dry and was in the top ten as the rain fell in the afternoon.
The two-day Cremona Circuit test for the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship gives riders the chance to get used to their Yamaha R7 machines, in both dry and wet conditions after rain fell in Italy. Lucy Michel (TSL-Racing) was one of the fastest riders on track in the dry, and one of the first to test the wet conditions, and she reviewed her day after finishing second out of the 23 riders at the test.
19-year-old Michel was second in the combined timings for the first three sessions, which was composed of a 10-minute Warm Up session to start the day and then two Free Practice sessions which lasted 20 minutes. Her best time was 1’46.349s, lapping exactly four tenths slower than pacesetter Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) who lapped Cremona in 1’45.949s. In the fourth session – another 20-minute Free Practice – the German rider was eighth fastest, posting a 2’00.034s as rain began to fall.
Looking back on her first day with the Yamaha R7, the bike all competitors will ride, Michel said: “It’s an amazing feeling. The track is so nice and I’m feeling so good on the bike. The wet conditions were very difficult for me. I learnt today more feeling about the bike and in the rain. It’s my first time riding the bike in the wet conditions. The plan for tomorrow is to keep learning, tomorrow should have good weather.”
Despite her young age, Michel has a vast amount of experience to her name after competing in German championships. She raced in the IDM Supersport 300 series last year, finishing in 21st place, while she has also been a points scorer in the ADAC Junior Cup. She’s tasted podium success in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Cup in Germany, doing the double at Schleizer Dreieck in 2022 as a guest rider.
The Cremona test gave her the opportunity to try the Yamaha R7 bike that she’ll race with in 2024 as she competes in the first season of WorldWCR. It’s been a strong start for the teenager so far despite tricky conditions and limited running, but Michel will feel positive heading into Day 2 after securing a top-three spot so soon into her WorldWCR career.
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